Stuck Here With You at the End of the World
by hannahjap
Summary: Zim has finally succeded in his quest to destroy the earth, but there's one person he doesn't have any immediate urge to blow up. If Zim decides to take Dib as a trophy what'll Dib have to say about it? :A cliche premise, but I think the writing saves it:
1. Devastation

**Devastation**

_There's nothing left… everything's gone… anything I ever knew…_

Dib stared out over the landscape from the hill above town. Almost all the buildings were lying as piles of rubble, the trees were now nothing more than charred toothpicks and the streets were littered with the recently deceased. Any other survivors were hiding amongst the remains of buildings or under the shells of cars, desperate to stay alive.

Dib knew they stood no chance. The armada wasn't going to give up its goal any time soon, and that goal was the annihilation of the human race. It was amazing to think that, only that morning, he'd been more worried about being late for school than the end of the world.

_Yes, this is the end of the world…_

Dib got up and looked back at the park around him. The grass was mostly grey and burnt, the benches were reduced to a few metal spikes poking out of the ground at odd angles, like darkened bones, and the few people who had been in the park at the time were now just as dead as their friends back down in the town. There wasn't a single sign of life up here, aside from him.

Dib sighed and walked back to his house as slowly as he dared, not wanting to be out in the open for too long. He glanced at the wreck of his school as he passed it, it had been badly hit. Probably no survivors there. His tattered coat blew around him in the cold breeze. He avoided the bodies, not an easy task as they lay all over the roads. A couple of children hiding under an upturned bus shelter gawped at him as he passed, he ignored them.

Dib arrived outside what had that morning been his house. It was now a room and two walls, waiting to topple at any moment. Dib walked through the door frame into his front room, or most of it at least. He sat down on the floor beside the smashed television screen and shook his head.

_How could this happen? There was no warning…_

Earlier that day, around noon, the first of the fleet had arrived. It took ten minutes or so for at least a hundred ships to be hovering in the sky above Dib's town. He'd been at school at the time, on lunch break. Once they'd been sighted, the whole school had gathered to watch the sky. Dib had seen the ships first and recognised them as the trademark voots of Zim's race, only bigger. He knew what was happening and, after getting a decent eyeful of the destruction fleet, ran as far away as he could, looking for a safe place to hide. No-one had stopped him going, they were far too intent on watching the ships getting ever closer to the Earth's surface to even notice him leave.

Dib had made it up to the hill and under a pile of discarded bricks from an old wall just as the attack had begun. The Irken ships had started to fire the cannon sweep to erase any inhabitants of the planet, as well as a few extra destructive lasers for added affect. The attack had lasted almost an hour before the ships sped off, doubtless to destroy another part of the world. A few had remained hovering overhead, probably to watch for any survivors and take them out. That was when Dib had come out from his shelter to examine the damage.

_I should have stopped all this…_

Dib heard a movement behind him, dragging him out of any thoughts of self-blame. He jumped up and flicked around, scowling at the intruder. At the Invader. At Zim.

"What the hell do you want? Come to take me down personally I suppose?" Dib spat.

Zim just smirked. He looked different than usual. He seemed to be wearing new robes, his pak was polished and shining and his whole face appeared to glow with pride.

_I'll bet he's proud, he just exterminated all life on Earth…_

"I SAID what the HELL do you want? There's no need to gloat I can see it, OK! You beat me, and I don't CARE!"

There was something off-putting about the look on Zim's face. If Dib hadn't been so angry he might have noticed it, but naturally he just assumed it was pride and scorn. It made him even angrier.

"Get out of here Zim! Go pick on someone your own SIZE." He emphasized the last bit with added contempt. Zim scowled but still did not answer, so Dib kept talking.

"Guess you've finally proved to your stupid tallest how great you are then, huh? I bet you're popular now! Or are you still too SHORT for anyone to notice!"

Zim's eye twitched but he didn't speak. He might not be the most popular Irken in the world, but he was MORE popular. At least, his tallest had told him he could go back to being a proper Invader again. He'd proved his worth by giving away Earths weakness - it was utterly defenceless. He had finally been forgiven for the mistakes he'd made in the past. He'd even grown a foot whilst he'd been stuck here on Earth so he was one of the taller Irkens now. Not as tall as Dib, but still…

Dib had stopped taunting his old rival. He knew Zim wasn't going to say anything and didn't have much left to throw anyway. Once Zim realised Dib had shut up he strode over. When he was about a metre away Dib took a step back, having no particular urge to die. Zim laughed at him. Dib didn't want to look pathetic especially if this was, as he suspected, his last stand then he wanted to go down fighting. He stood up as straight as possible and waited.

Zim took a step closer and, sensing no tricks, went further forward until he was only an inch away from Dib's face. Dib felt like hitting the alien until he stopped moving, but knew it wouldn't accomplish anything and would just make him look pathetic and childish. He settled for a frown. Zim smiled unpleasantly, like someone about to stand on a spider for fun.

"I didn't come to kill you. I could have done that long ago."

Dib laughed sarcastically at him. "Yeah right! Kill the rest of the world but leave ME? Why, whattya gonna do Zim?" He put his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow, inviting Zim's next statement.

"This." Zim said and grabbed Dib's waist. Dib didn't have any time to react or push him away before Zim shoved himself onto his lips. It wasn't a pleasant kiss at all, it hurt. Zim's tongue ran around Dib's teeth in a way that made his flesh crawl. He tried to break away but Zim had him in a very tight grip, obviously in no hurry to let him get away. Dib pushed at Zim, letting out little muffled screams, trying desperately to get away. That seemed to make Zim even more excited, he fondled Dib's hair without releasing him from the kiss.

Eventually, Dib's frantic shoves convinced Zim to surface, without releasing his waist. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" Dib screamed the second he'd caught his breath. Zim looked at him boredly.

"I came for what is rightfully MINE - You. Now shut up and stop jabbing me with your elbow." Zim dived back into the kiss, moving his hands over Dib's body, pausing at certain points. This made Dib feel even sicker.

_What is he doing? What does he mean? Wow, he really knows what he's doing…_

Dib shook his head to remove that last thought. He shoved at Zim with all his strength until he finally prized his body from the aliens grip. He rubbed furiously at his mouth to wipe away any trace of Zim's spit.

"Come on Dib, you're mine now. There's no point resisting me."

"What does that MEAN? Why me? You look good in that light. I'M NOT YOURS!"

Zim grinned, obviously amused by Dib's resistance. "Wrong! Had you not noticed..? I've just wiped out your planet! Know what that means?"

Dib pouted. "No."

"It means I can take what I want from the wreckage! Irk owns your plant now Dib, and I want YOU. My trophy…"

Dib took a step back in surprise. "T-trophy?"

Zim nodded. "Mm-hmm. You put up the most fight when Earth was alive, you shall make an excellent trophy."

"I am no-one's trophy!" Dib hissed. "And why the kiss, Zim? What was the POINT of that?"

Zim laughed. "Staking a claim, marking my property, whatever you want to call it…" He dismissed it with a wave of his hand in Dib's direction then cleared his throat "Anyway, I have much to do. I am forgiven my past now and I've got a LOT of gloating to do, not to mention the extra height…" He drifted into thought. Dib waited then snapped his fingers to get Zim's attention again. "What? Oh yes, so we have to leave now." Zim grabbed Dib's coat sleeve and attempted to drag him away, undoubtedly towards his ship.

"Wait a minute! I'm not going anywhere!" Dib yanked his hand back. "And don't touch my hand either."

"YES you are, you're coming with me NOW! You're my trophy and I have to get back to the massive soon!" Zim pulled Dib so hard by the arm that he fell over. Zim looked down and smiled cruelly. "Aw will you look at that? Now I'm gonna have to give you a bath."

Dib glared at him. He rubbed at the mud and dust on his trenchcoat and in his hair. He didn't bother to get up. "No-one. Ever. Speaks. Like that. To me."

"Why? What you gonna do?" Zim laughed prodding him with his boot.

Dib scowled and muttered something under his breath. Zim froze, a frown etched on his features.

"What was that, human?"

Dib smirked. "I said I didn't ask you to fall in love with me."

Zim balled fists and an expression of rage fell across his face. He knelt down so he was at Dib's eyelevel and slapped him hard across the face, then stood up again. Dib spat on the floor and raised himself to a standing position.

"I am not in love with you." Zim whispered.

"Sure… why did you-"

Zim put up a hand to silence him. "Because I could." Dib snorted in disbelief. Zim stared coldly into his eyes. "I never said I didn't find you attractive. I don't LOVE you though."

Dib gulped, disturbed. "Why? Why you but no-one else?" He spoke very quickly, not enjoying the conversation.

"You're tall." Was all Zim said, then he looked at his feet.

Dib waited for more, realising there would be none, he protested. "What? Tall? That's IT? You kissed me 'cause I'm TALL!"

"Yes." Zim looked up. "That's considered attractive for an Irken."

Dib felt confused. "So do you still hate me?"

"Yes, but I'm still taking you as a trophy."

"I don't wanna be a trophy…" Dib muttered, kicking some debris around on the floor.

"Would you rather stay here and wait for the armada to get you like the rest? You know they will eventually." Zim asked, coolly.

Dib thought for a moment. "No, I suppose not… But I really DON'T want to go home with you." He said honestly.

"Don't you like me?"

"I hate you, you know that." Dib sighed, ignoring the real question.

"Not like that."

Dib sighed again, avoiding Zim's eyes. "Maybe… You always did remind me of a girl, I guess."

Zim resisted the urge to comment on this comparison. "Fine. Now come on, we have to get back to the ship." He held out a gloved hand and hoped Dib would take it without any more hesitation, he was disappointed.

"I'm still not so sure Zim, I really don't want to go…"

"Why keep thinking you can stay alive on this dull rock? Come!"

Dib hesitated again. "…No. I belong here, Zim. I guess, if that's where it's going, I'll die here with the Earth." He didn't really mean it as he said it, just didn't want to take the other option.

Zim tutted. "Yes, I anticipated a little resistance." He opened his pak and withdrew an item from inside. "Lucky I came prepared."

Dib stared hard at what Zim was holding out. "NO WAY. Never!" He shook his head vigorously to demonstrate how very anti he was on this plan.

Zim sniggered. "Shut up, we're leaving. If you won't take like a man, you can take it like a dog instead." He hooked the collar around Dib's neck and held tight onto the chain attached. "I'll drag you if I have to."

Dib sighed and nodded, dragging his feet as he followed Zim. Zim lead him back along the roads until they reached his old voot cruiser, hidden behind the remains of their old school. Zim opened the door and climbed in, pulling on the chain to get Dib to join him. Dib was about to climb in when he noticed something.

"Zim there's one seat."

Zim put on a big show of faking surprise, turning his mouth into a large 'O'. "Why Dib, I just hadn't noticed! What ever are we going to do?"

Dib sighed. "Okay, I'll bite, where do I sit..?"

Zim leered at him. "You can run behind or sit on my lap."

Dib choked. "W-what? I'm NOT sitting on your lap!"

"YES you are, either that or I can strap you to the roof rack… but there's no air up there."

"But, but… Did you do this on purpose?"

Zim looked bored. "No, not really. I guess I COULD have asked for a bigger ship, but I didn't really want the hassle… Besides, as I said, I find you quite attractive…"

"But I thought that was just about the kiss!" Dib was getting an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

Zim giggled. "Of course not, when is it ever JUST THAT with me, Dib? Now, come here." He purred.

Dib gave up. He climbed in and sat down in Zim's lap, trying to get comfy.

"Stop squirming, save that for later."

Dib winced. "If you mean what I think you mean the answer is NO…"

"Like you have a choice…"

Dib sighed and wrapped his arms around himself as Zim closed the voot and started up the engine.

"It's gonna be a looooong night…" He muttered to himself.


	2. Submission

**Submission**

It was dark. It was always dark in space and Dib didn't know if it was night on Earth or not. He pulled the blankets further up his chin and sighed. Life was a very distressing thing, he decided. Just when you thought things had reached their limits, something new came back and slapped you across the face.

After leaving the Earth earlier that day, Zim had landed the voot in the Massive. Zim had immediately been swarmed by random groupies, all of whom he shooed away quickly before letting Dib out. Checking the coast was clear, Zim had carried Dib off to his room on the ship. He left Dib in there alone, telling him to get some sleep after his ordeal. He'd then gone off to some description of victory party. Dib had done as he was told and slept, waking every few hours due to distressing nightmares involving the end of the world… and slightly better dreams about Zim…

He'd woken up again about half an hour ago and, not wanting to fall back into the nightmare worlds, he had stayed awake. Zim was still not back from whatever celebrations he was at. Although Dib could think of a million people he'd rather be with than Zim, it was dark and strange here and he didn't want to be alone. Those people were probably dead now anyway.

Dib heard the door creak open, spilling a bluish light into the room. He sat up fast to see Zim enter and close the door behind him, then flick on the light. Dib breathed again. He didn't know who, or what, he'd been expecting - at least Zim's was a familiar face.

"Hello Dib, have you slept?" Zim asked. He came over and lay down beside Dib on the bed, a move that put Dib in a slightly uneasy position.

"Uh…" He stammered.

"It's a simple question, have you slept or not?" Zim's voice betrayed no emotion except impatience.

"Um, yes actually, a bit…" Dib ran the blanket through his hands and avoided the luminous eyes of his companion.

"Good, so you're rested." Zim smiled at Dib, who bit his lip nervously.

"Yeah, well, I guess. Where did you go?" Dib hadn't meant to sound so concerned when he asked the question, all the nervousness in his voice was getting the better of him.

"To celebrate the planet's downfall with my tallest and other high-class Irkens. Nothing exciting, I've never been fond of posh parties…" Zim trailed off. He stared up at Dib in an almost hypnotic way. "But enough of talk…"

Zim lifted himself up and onto Dib, wrapping his arms around the boy's torso. Dib tensed up, turning his head so he didn't have to face Zim. Zim ignored the protest and tilted Dib's head back up to look at him. Dib whined. Zim leant in and kissed Dib, trying to persuade him to calm down and relax, but it just made Dib more uncomfortable and tenser. However, he didn't attempt to prise the Irken's lips from his own. Zim noticed how uneasy he was making his trophy and lifted his head.

"What?"

Dib scrunched his face up. "I don't want to do this… Not with you…"

Zim sighed. "Come on! I saved your life didn't I?"

Dib hadn't thought about what taking him off Earth had meant to him, he'd only considered the perks on Zim's side. To think his worst enemy had saved his life was odd, but unfortunately true.

Zim seemed to read Dib's mind. "That means you're in my debt, Dib… This is what I want from you." He ran a hand along the length of Dib's head and neck.

"Well…" Dib couldn't come up with an argument against. "Wh-why do you want to anyway?"

Zim sniggered. "Whilst on Earth I studied every detail of your people's culture, in an attempt to find a weakness. I came across this ritual of submission and, well…"

"Well… what?" Dib asked, intrigued.

"It sounded like a heck of a lot of fun! I've been looking to try it out for a while."

Dib winced, he should have known there'd be no deeper meaning behind this. "So… d-do you know why people do it?"

Zim thought for a second. "Recreation mostly, isn't it?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess…"

"Well then come on!" Zim prepared to make another move on Dib, but before he could, Dib held out a hand to keep him from getting too close.

"No, no! That's not the main reason at all!"

Zim sighed, irritated this was taking so long. "Well what? I'm getting bored, Dib, just hurry up and well me!"

Dib whined quietly. "See, it's how humans... uh… reproduce…"

"Really? How odd…" Zim was lost in thought and had seemingly completely forgotten why he'd been interested in the subject originally.

"Yeeeeah… Don't you?"

"Eh?" Zim hadn't been listening.

Dib ran a hand through his hair, embarrassed. "Well, um, don't Irkens… Y'know?"

Zim let out a little laugh. "Of course not! It's much more efficient to clone our young."

"Really? How, um, weird…"

"It's not weird, it makes complete sense." Zim obviously didn't see why Dib thought it odd at all.

Dib sighed. "I guess so…" There was silence for a few seconds.

"Done talking? Good." Zim went back to running his hands over Dib's head and neck, and Dib had to admit he was doing a good job of it… But as soon as Zim attempted to join their lips again, Dib flinched away from the touch.

Zim pounded a fist onto the bed. "What is wrong with you!"

Dib had no desire to make him angry, didn't want to think about what would happen then. "Look Zim, we've been enemies for so long… it's just so weird to think about sleeping with you."

Zim obviously didn't understand. "Why? I've told you I'm attracted to you, I saved your life, what else do I have to do?" He gritted his teeth with growing impatience.

Dib squirmed. "Humans just don't DO that with people they don't like!"

"From what I can tell, you do it with almost anyone…" Zim hissed. Dib blushed.

"Well… not our enemies!"

"There was only cause for us to be enemies when we were fighting a battle of planets, Dib. I won. We don't need to hate each other anymore."

"But… but…"

"You can't even think of any reason not to, can you? Just… give in!" Zim yelled. Dib didn't move, he'd had the fight whipped right out of him when his planet was wiped out.

"…Please." Zim muttered. Dib had never heard him say that word before. He went slightly limp in Zim's grasp.

"I can't…" Dib whispered.

Zim sighed and rolled off Dib to lie next to him again. "I won't force you."

"R-really?" Dib asked, shocked. "But earlier you said I didn't have a choice…"

"I know. I was hoping you'd give in, I-I can't force you…"

"Why?" Dib asked, his voice still low.

"Because I'm not that bad an Irken."

"But… Y-you killed everyone, all the other humans… If you can do that then surely you can do this?"

Zim sighed again. "No. Killing comes naturally to an Irken, it's in our blood. But… taking someone against their will, to foul something that pure, that would be a true crime."

Dib didn't speak, but let himself smile. He found a new well of respect for his old rival. He'd always just assumed Zim was a bad person because he was trying to destroy the Earth, but to think that was his entire purpose in life was different. Who said humans had the right point of view on 'crimes' anyway? What Zim was saying made sense.

Sensing Dib's silence, Zim went on. "I-I need you to submit to me before I can take you…" Dib smiled. Zim didn't see, assuming Dib was angry with him and unwilling to reply. "I can see why you don't want to, I hoped… you'd change your mind."

"Zim..?" Dib whispered. The Irken turned to Dib and saw the warm smile spread across his face. "You saved my life, I guess…" He paused. "I owe you this."

Zim hesitated to move, taking in the permission Dib had given him. "A-a-are you SURE?"

"Yes." Dib nodded. Zim smiled, once again climbing up onto the taller boy and joining mouths. Dib didn't squirm away, Zim would never be his first choice of partner, but he did owe him his life and he was grateful. Besides - he'd no chance of ever finding anyone else to be with now, not really.

"_I guess I'm kinda lucky…"_ Dib thought as Zim slid a hand down to his pelvis, hovering for a moment, then unzipping his black jeans. Dib couldn't help twitch under the alien's touch, but didn't mind it…

Not really…

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(A/N) - _Whatta ya know! I decided to continue this after all! ;D Hope you like it. Bumping the rating up to M just in case._


	3. Discomfort

**Discomfort**

"_Dib…"_

"_Zim…"_

"_I need you…"_

"_I need you more…"_

"_Need…"_

"_Want…"_

"_Dib…"_

"_Don't leave me…"_

"_Never..."_

"_I need you…"_

"_Dib…"_

"Zim?" Dib's eyes snapped open. The events of last night were fresh in his mind. He could still feel Zim's gloved hands crawling over his body, the taste of his tongue in his mouth, the warm breath on his neck…

"Zim?" Dib called again. The Irken was not lying next to him. Dib got up quickly, scanning the room. "Zim!" He sounded worried now. "Are you here Zim? W-where are you? Don't play games." Dib looked around the room to make sure Zim wasn't hiding, he looked in the bathroom and the wardrobe, but Zim was not there. He'd not mentioned having to leave early… Dib sighed and gave up, hunting instead for his clothes. He saw them lying piled up across a chair in the corner of the room, folded neatly. He shrugged and went to pick them up, finding a note placed in the centre of his shirt. Confused, Dib picked it up and read it.

"_I am sorry I had to leave early. I was summoned by my Tallest to meet with them at once to discuss future possibilities for me in the military. You would not be welcome. - Zim."_

"That's not fair! He can't just take off and leave all the time!" Dib muttered to himself angrily. He slid on his shirt and saw another note underneath attached to his trousers.

"_It's perfectly fair! Don't argue with me, my Tallest would not approve of a live trophy. I will not be too long. - Zim."_

Dib smiled, Zim knew him very well. He pulled on his trousers and, checking there were no more notes, put on his tattered trenchcoat. He sat on the chair, considering what to do until Zim came back. There didn't seem to be anything interesting in the room. Dib sighed and decided he might at least open the curtains.

Meanwhile, Zim was sat at a long table filled with other elite Irkens. Seeing as he was the Irk of the moment, he'd been seated at the very head of the table, right next to Tallest Red. Almost all of the other Irkens were laughing and talking among themselves, generally in high spirits. Zim was not. He was silent, distant, and held his head in his hands, staring hard at a small spot on the table. He wasn't bored, he was dwelling on what he'd done.

It had not been unpleasant, spending that time with Dib, quite the opposite. It had just been… different. Zim hadn't been prepared for it. He didn't understand what it had meant and didn't understand why it was making him feel so odd. He just didn't understand the concept! At least Dib had known what to expect…

"Come on Zim, why so quiet?" Red nudged Zim hard in the ribs, trying to prod him into the conversation. Zim nodded and remained fixated on the same spot. Red didn't seem to notice he seemed depressed. "Now Zim, you needn't be shy! You're elite now, too!"

"Yeah, I guess so…" Zim murmured. He was far away, trapped in his recent memory. Unable to escape the feeling something was wrong…

Purple had overheard Red talking to Zim. "Yeah Zim, cheer up! You're not stuck on that dingy planet anymore!"

"What was it called again? Ert, Arth…" Red asked.

"It's Earth." Zim muttered.

"Oh yeah… Earth. Weird place, got a look when we were flying over. All those strange grey buildings and tall green things."

Purple joined in, laughing. "And the life! Talk about underdeveloped, those Earthanoids were really weak looking, can't see how they held you up for so long, Zim. Most of them screaming, looked so patheti-"

"That's enough!" Zim yelled, banging a fist on the table. All the Irkens in the room fell silent, staring at the cause of noise. "They weren't! Well, most of them were, but some…" He cut himself off, making a wide gesture with one hand.

"Eh?" Red grunted.

"I'm leaving." Zim growled, stomping off out of the room, back along the hall to his room.

"What's his problem?" Purple asked no-one in particular.

"Always weird, probably dropped on the head as a smeet…" Red muttered.

Once safely back in his own room, Zim breathed again. He looked around and, not immediately seeing Dib, assumed he was in the bathroom.

"Dib? You in there?" Zim asked, knocking on the door. There was no reply. "Di-ib!" Zim called louder. "Come!"

"Over here…" Came a faint voice from the other end of the room. Zim turned, there was no Dib. "Curtain…" Came Dib's voice again. Zim strode over and pulled back the curtain, revealing Dib standing behind it on the balcony, incased inside a bubble window. He was staring out at the stars spread in front of and around him in awe.

"It's incredible…" Dib whispered.

"It's… pretty average. You should see a star explode." Zim said.

"How can you say that! Look at it… it's so beautiful…" Dib smiled. He'd never seen anything quite like this, or at least, never so close and with so much time to appreciate it.

"Everyday stuff here, Dib." Zim slid his arms around Dib's shoulders, a movement that with anyone else would have been thoughtful, but with Zim was controlling even if he didn't mean it to be.

"Uh-huh…"

"Come back inside."

Dib rolled his eyes. "No."

"That was not a request - come." Zim tugged on Dib's shoulders. Dib sighed but went. Zim sat him down on the bed.

"I brought you some food." He offered Dib a bread roll and a bottle of water, well the Irken substitute for water anyway.

"Thank you!" Dib grabbed the roll and ate it very fast, he had not actually eaten for almost a day and it was beginning to affect him. Zim watched him eat then sighed, preparing to ask the question that had been playing on his emotions all day.

"Dib?"

"Wharrf..?" Dib swallowed the mouthful of food he'd been chewing and took a gulp of water.

Zim whined and fiddled around with his fingers. "Um, about… the thing last night…"

"Yeeeah…" Dib said uneasily.

"Well, uh, did it make you feel so… odd?"

Dib thought for a moment. Yes, of course it had, it was Zim. He couldn't deny that. But… at the same time it hadn't been bad. He couldn't decide if he'd enjoyed it or not… it was too weird.

"Well…" Dib hesitated.

"Because it made me feel really uneasy. Tell me, how did it make you feel..?"

"Uhh…" Dib stammered, still not sure. It wasn't something that happened everyday and he hadn't really thought about it at the time. Good, bad, good, bad, good?

"DIB! I need to know if this is just me!"

Dib still couldn't think, good or bad? Strange… but uncomfortable? How HAD it felt to him?

Zim was gritting his teeth now. "Just tell me flat out Dib - did it or did it not make you uncomfortable to have sex with me?"

Dib winced a little. He'd actually said the word…

"Yes! Yes it did! OK, good enough for you?" Dib yelled. He stared for a second then looked down at his feet.

"Uh, good. I didn't want to think I was the only one." There was an awkward silence. Neither boy had any desire to say anything else about the current topic. Eventually, Dib broke it.

"You mean it?"

"What?" Zim muttered, not looking at him.

"You really felt weird doing it with, uh, me?"

"Yes."

"Because…?" Dib asked, making a wide gesture with both hands.

Zim knew Dib wanted him to admit it had been a bad idea all along, something he really didn't want to do. Zim had never before admitted he'd been wrong and wasn't willing to start now.

"I don't know, maybe you're just bad at it…"

"What!" Dib snapped. "I am not! You are!"

"Nu-uh, you!"

"You!"

"You!"

"YOU!"

Zim and Dib stared hard at each other, both scowling with unusual venom.

"… You." Muttered Zim.

"Well at least I don't wear a dress!"

"Neither do I, these are robes."

Dib sighed. "You're too annoying to argue with…"

Zim grinned and clasped his hands, putting on a big show of looking innocent. "Or am I just too cute..?"

"YOU'RE NOT CUTE!"

"I'm cuter than you, eyeliner boy."

"Not." Dib said stubbornly. He blinked. "Wait, I'm not 'cute', cute is for girls!"

"Uh, yeah… I was kidding when I said I was cute." Zim muttered.

There was another silence, then Dib started to giggle. Zim glowered at him, but Dib couldn't stop - Zim was just acting too funny.

"Stop laughing at me!" Zim yelled.

"I'm _hehheh _not!"

"Yes you aaaare - don't lie to me, Dib!"

"No, really, I'm not." Dib managed to suppress his laughter.

"Good." Zim nodded. "You should never make fun of Zim."

Dib smiled. "Why do you always talk about yourself in the third person?"

"I… don't."

Dib laughed again. "You just did."

Zim smiled weakly. "Nu-uh."

Dib reached in and gave Zim a quick peck on the cheek. "You're too weird for your own good, you know, Zim."

Zim was silent for a moment, then he reached up and put a hand on his cheek. Dib smiled at him. Zim opened his mouth to speak.

"…You."


	4. Hatred

**Hatred**

A few days after Zim had brought him aboard the space station, Dib began to pine for his home. He wanted to go back to Earth to search for any remnants of his old life. He'd hinted to Zim at this need a few times now, as of yet with no success. Zim didn't seem in any hurry to let Dib return to Earth, even for a moment.

"Zim?"

Zim looked up from some blueprints he'd been given to check over. Dib was standing behind him, he looked hesitant. Zim waited for him to talk again.

"Uh, I…" Dib hesitated. Zim stayed looking silently at him, not taking his gaze from Dib's face for a split second. "Look, I want to go back to Earth. Not forever!" He added quickly, seeing Zim's expression shift to unease. "Just to pick up a few things, tie up loose ends, that's all. Please?"

Zim thought this over. Did he really want to give Dib back that taste of freedom? Fresh air, breeze, grass… He didn't have any of that here. Even if the Earth was a wreck, currently in the process of being renovated, it was still Earth. Dib's home. Zim didn't know what would happen if he let Dib go back there, no matter how long for…

He sighed. "Very well, I'll take you. But not for long, understand? Just to pick up your things."

Dib smiled, ignoring the worry in Zim's tone. "Really?"

"We can leave now if you want."

………….…….

Dib felt wind sweep through his hair and play about with the tail of his trenchcoat once more as he stepped out of the ship and back on solid ground. He took a deep breath of cold air and stared out at the horizon. Just as Zim was climbing out of the ship, Dib ran off along the street in the direction of his old house.

"Wait!" Zim called after him, but he was already out of earshot. Zim sighed, looking down at the ground. He glared at it, as if every little speck of soil was responsible for every little thing wrong in his life. He squashed his boot down on the ground, hard, trying to eradicate all the dirt under his feet. He did it again and again, getting more and more desperate with each and every stamp. He had forgotten about Dib, he only cared about taking his anger out on this stupid piece of crap barley classable as a planet. He dropped to the ground, pounding on the earth with his fists, kicking behind him at the offending air.

_Why why why does he love you? You stupid planet - you're nothing! I OWN YOU!_

Dib rounded a corner and caught sight of his old street. There was his house. He walked up to the doorframe, savouring each step he took. The back wall had fallen down now, it looked even less like his house than it had last time he'd been here.

_When Zim… When he kissed me…_

Dib moved further into the shadow of his house. Everything was grey and filthy, he barley recognised it as his former living room. He picked up a faded picture from the floor, recognising his family's faces in the cracked frame.

_My family! I never thought about them… I guess they're dead now…_

Dib sighed and dropped it, crunching it under his feet as he searched onwards in the rubble. There was a pile of glass by part of a wall, probably a window. Maybe from the kitchen? It didn't matter. More shards lay scattered about the twisted floorboards, Dib made sure not to step on any as he reached the back of the structure.

_I suppose this is where my room fell in. I wonder what's left of it…_

Dib shifted about in the debris, looking for something of his to hold on to. He unearthed a few crippled pieces of metal, from his cupboards or desks. He kept looking, with just a vague hope there was a little part of him left here somewhere to keep him going. Eventually, he came across a briefcase. It was very battered and the dented, but Dib recognised it instantly. It contained his life's work, all his findings on Zim. Everything he'd worked for. But in the end - what good had it done? He'd wasted so much of his life trying to prove Zim's existence to the world when he could have been out making friends or having fun - being normal. Instead he'd been following around an evil little alien that had gone on to wipe out everything he'd ever known.

_Everything except me. Why did he leave me alive? Really..?_

Dib sat down in the ash, still clutching the briefcase to his chest. He sighed deeply and stared at the floor. There was no reason. No reason for anything Zim did, ever. Was there any reason to his life, either? Probably not. He was as pointless as Zim. Pointless and useless. He couldn't ever do anything right… Dib took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He shoved the briefcase aside. It was a reminder of all the time he'd wasted. All the things he couldn't do. Of Zim… Dib pushed his glasses back up his nose, suddenly angry. It was all Zim's fault.

ZIM had destroyed life on Earth.

ZIM had killed his family.

ZIM had crushed every single one of Dib's hopes and dreams from the minute they'd met!

… Zim had lied to him. He'd claimed he'd been sparing Dib's life, doing him a favour, making the bad things go away… He was the bad thing - He'd taken it all away, rubbed it in Dib's face then tricked him into calling him a saint. Zim was evil.

Tears were pouring down Dib's cheeks by now. He held his face in his hands, sobbing. He kicked at the dirt around him, wanting to hurt something just as much as he hurt inside.

_It's not fair! It's just not FAIR! Why why why? How could he do this to me? I knew he was low down but this is terrible, even for him! He took everything from me, he always did. How… how could anyone do that?_

Zim tore at the dirt with his claws, pulling up huge chunks which he ripped apart. He snarled at the earth, threatening it, angry that it made no response to him.

_Show some fear!_

Dib threw clods of dirt and ash around, ripping at the floor around him and sending anything loose flying. He screamed out, desperate for some other person to hear him, to come to him.

_I just want someone here!_

Both of them were screaming and clawing at their surroundings, if they could have seen each other they probably would have been worried about how similar their behaviour was.

_This stupid planet!_

_My beautiful home!_

_Why won't you obey me?_

_How could he hurt it?_

_It's ugly!_

_It was beautiful!_

_Why?_

_Why?_

_Why does Dib love you?_

_Why does Zim hate you?_

_Hate…_

_Love…_

_Love…_

_Hate…_

_Why does he love you?_

_Why did he do this?_

Zim sat up and wiped off his gloves on his robes. Dib wiped his face and brushed his hands down on his coat.

_What is it about him?_

_That stuck up way he walks…_

_The silly flick in his hair…_

_That annoying little smirk…_

_Those big old glasses…_

Zim rubbed a smudge of dirt off his cheek. It must have got there when he'd been attacking the ground.

_Why does he love this place?_

Dib wiped at a speck of ash on his lens. It must have landed there when he'd been throwing dirt about.

_Why did he hurt this place?_

Both boys stared at the same inky sky and sighed.

_Does he really see anything in me..?_

_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->>>_

_Ooooh, hate to leave you there but it's me, Hanz, here with an authors note!_

_First off I hope you enjoyed this chapter of SHWYEOTW. I know, I KNOW I haven't updated in forever. I've been busy, I'm on GCSE's now, so...I have English coursework to write now instead! With some hope I'll keep up my current A streak. XD_

_I won't bore you with what's up with me in the real world, although I will say I made a break for it in the dentist yesterday and my mouth reeeeally hurts. Yeah, anyway, here are some replies to a few reviews, but thanks to everyone who writes! i read and appreciate them all! ;D_

**glassneko** - Thank you very much! You know I appreciate it! Eats cookie

**Muh Says The Cow** - And again! Heh, sorry. XD

**Rujutoshi** - Hmmm... maybe. And yes, I noticed the lack of 'if'. ;D

_Well, that's all for now! I'm into this again so it probably won't take as long for me to update this time. Either way, reviews poke me forward (sometimes off cliffs) and make me happy! They keep my muse rich in evil tradgedy type poetic ZADR thoughts... of doom. SO keep my muse happy, and review my crap! ;D_

_Later days peeps, Hanz._


	5. Paranoia

**Paranoia**

Almost an hour had passed, but neither had noticed. Dib was still sitting brooding in the ruins of his house, whilst Zim was lying on the dirt by his ship. Eventually, Zim decided he had better find Dib so they could return home. It was starting to get dark and the maze of ruined streets was much harder to navigate with only the moon. Zim pulled himself to his feet, brushing down his uniform to make sure he looked alright before going off to find Dib.

Dib sighed and flicked another clump of dirt away from his boots. He sat boredly, resting his head in his hands, gazing out at the street. He saw a flicker of colour appear from behind a wall then quickly disappear again. Zim was spying on him.

"Just come out will you - I don't want to play games." Dib called out boredly. The figure did not reappear from behind the shattered wall. "Come out Zim! I know you're there!" He called again, this time annoyed. Still nothing from behind the wall. Dib snarled and got up, striding out to the street with the intention to give Zim a piece of his mind. As he neared the wall from behind which he'd seen the figure appear, he heard footsteps. Dib stopped, maybe Zim was coming out easy after all.

"Zim?" Dib asked.

"Yes?" Zim's voice seemed oddly quiet. Dib crept up to the corner and peered round, when he saw Dib's face pop out from around the wall, Zim ran the short distance over to him.

Dib smiled before he could stop himself, then quickly corrected it with a glare that cut Zim short. "What were you playing at?"

"What do you mean, Dib?" Zim asked, cocking his head to one side.

"Oh never mind…" Dib grumbled, folding his arms. "You didn't need to come find me you know, I could have got back on my own."

Zim clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Well I did, besides, it's hard to see your way around in the dark."

Dib rolled his eyes. "Don't act like you know this place better than I do Zim, I grew up here."

Zim sniggered. "Yeah… But your eyes don't glow in the dark."

"Oh… right…" Dib mumbled, embarrassed by the obvious advantage Zim had.

Zim smirked. Dib found himself looking at the sharp, zipper-like teeth for a moment or two, then snapped back to reality. He cleared his throat.

"Listen, Zim…"

"Hmmm..?"

"Well, uh…" Dib started to blush. "You do remember what happened the last time we were here… right?"

Zim blushed a little and giggled to hide it. "Uh, yes, I do."

Dib was confused as to why Zim was giggling, it hadn't been particularly funny. "Well, I was just thinking… why _really_ did you do it?"

"Well, same as I said then - I find you attractive. I mean, you're tall!" Zim quickly changed his mind about the reason he was going to give halfway through.

Dib half smiled. "Yeah… I remember."

Zim smiled back. He closed his eyes, remembering that moment, it was a good memory…

_"Whattya gonna do Zim?" _

"_This…"_

Zim remembered the way Dib's lips had felt to touch with his own, lost in the moment he didn't even realise what he was doing. Dib watched the Irken standing in front of him, making little kissing motions at the air. He shrugged.

Zim could almost feel Dib's mouth again… and then suddenly he really could. He opened one eye to see that Dib had taken the invitation Zim had been unwittingly providing the air and leaned in for a proper kiss. He closed it again and let himself get lost in the kiss, tracing the outline of Dib's mouth with his tongue. Dib did the same.

Their kiss lasted for several minutes before Dib finally pulled back. Zim stared up at him with his big, red, headlight eyes. Dib looked back at him warmly, lost in the headlights… They stayed like that, just silently looking at each other, for a very long time. Night had truly fallen on the deserted Earth by the time their gaze was broken. It was Zim who broke it.

"Why?"

Dib frowned. "What do you mean 'why'?"

"I mean, why did you do that?"

"Are you wishing I hadn't?"

Zim shook his head. "No, I just mean… why?"

Dib shrugged, he'd lost the feeling he'd just had by now and didn't really care anymore. Zim looked down at the ground awkwardly. There was silence once again for a few moments.

"So did you find anything?" Zim asked finally.

Dib thought back to the briefcase. "No." He said flatly.

"Very well…" Zim muttered.

"What about you, what did you do all this time?" Dib asked.

Zim thought about his fight with the ground. "Nothing."

"Good." Dib mumbled.

Both boys shuffled their feet for a moment and refused to make eye contact. The dead wind pulled at their clothes, like an onlooker encouraging them to do something. Dib pushed his glasses further up his nose and turned back to face the outline of his house. Zim's hand twitched, he wanted desperately to grab Dib's collar and pull him away from the house, away from the memory, away from the safety… but he held it together. Dib glanced over his shoulder.

"I'm hungry." He said bluntly.

"Well tough, I didn't bring any food." Zim replied icily, annoyed by Dib's disregard for him. That's what Dib should be thinking about - him, not food.

"But I'm huuun-ggrry…" Dib whined, making Zim's eye twitch. Dib was irritated now, who did Zim think he was? Forgetting to bring food, it was ridiculous…

"Fine! I'll see what I can do…" Zim spat and stomped off in the direction of the ship. Dib watched with moderate amusement as his companion did his best to make a show of his annoyance, instead making himself look like a complete spectacle.

"He might be a pain, but he can be pretty funny sometimes…" Dib muttered to himself, smiling. He walked back into the rubble of his front room and sat on the floor, brushing away the dirt around him. He'd barely had a chance to catch his breath when he heard a scuffle some distance behind him. He snapped round, hoping to catch Zim in the act this time, but there was no-one there. He tried to put it to the back of his mind, glancing shiftily around for any sign of Zim. There came a faint cough, a little nearer this time, which almost made Dib jump right out of his skin. He got up as fast as possible, glaring in every direction at once.

"Whosthere? Come on Zim, I know it's you!"

There was no reply, and Dib started to feel very uneasy. He knew Zim was hiding around here somewhere, spying on him, watching his every move. It almost reminded Dib of all the time he'd spent sat outside Zim's house, watching him, except that this was mean. Zim was really scaring him now.

"I mean it! Show yourself!"

Dib heard a faint snigger right behind his ear, but the second he turned around it had gone. There really was no-one here. Was he going insane(er) or was Zim really still hiding somewhere?

"My mind's probably just exaggerating it… he couldn't have been _right_ behind me, probably just hiding behind a wall or something…" He whispered to himself comfortingly.

Having reassured himself, Dib took off his trenchcoat and lay it out on the ground like a picnic blanket to sit on. He was just about to get comfy again, when he heard a scream. This time it wasn't so close, but it was still Zim all right. And it sounded as if something horrific had happened to him.

"ZIM! I'm coming!" Dib cried out and sprinted off in the direction of the noise as fast as possible, instantly forgetting everything that had just happened.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------->>

_A/N - Yep - ANOTHER cliff hanger! XD Whilst organising a witch hunt and buying blazing torches on eBay, just remember - it'll be worth it. Whatever made Zim scream is gonna be revealed first thing in the next chapter, and boy will it be good. (Well, maybe not for them...) Heh, from now on there'll probably be more... well... yeah. XD Anyway, hope you liked this chapter - I sure loved writing it! And seeing as I may not get another chance to say it - MERRY CHRISTMAS! _

Will Zim be OK? Is Dib really getting delusional? And why the hell don't they have any food? The answers to these, and similar questions, will be unvieled in the next chapter of... dundundun STUCK HERE WITH YOU AT THE END OF THE WORLD!

...XD OK, I'm done.


	6. Entrapment

**Entrapment**

By the time Dib arrived at the scene, Zim's scream had faded and had been replaced by a low moan. He saw Zim right away. The alien was kneeling on the dirt, pounding his fists on the ground in despair, moaning that low, hollow moan that sent a chill up his spine. Dib stared for a moment, unaware of the problem… Then he realised.

"Zim… What happened to..?" He gasped, taking a step back.

Zim became suddenly aware of Dib's presence and leapt to his feet, wiping his face off quickly to hide his upset. "It was like this when I got back. I don't know what happened to it…"

Dib took a step forward to stand with Zim as both boys stared at the wreck of the spaceship. Whoever had done it had done a very good job - The body had been completely bashed in with a blunt object, perhaps a bat, the glass had been shattered, possibly by hand and the control panel had been attacked viciously, it was now missing various vital switches and buttons. There was no way this was ever flying again.

"Ziiim…..?" Dib asked after a long moment of silent astonishment.

"Yes Dib?" His partner replied, equally shocked.

"How are we going to get back?"

Zim gulped. He'd been so surprised to see his ship all smashed up, he hadn't yet thought about how he'd get the two of them home. He certainly couldn't fly home in this, and he hadn't told any of the other Irkens where he'd gone so there was no hope of rescue there. They were, quite simply, stuck. Good and stuck on a deserted planet with no hope of rescue. Not the best place to be, really.

Dib frowned. "Are we going to be rescued?" Zim didn't answer, only looked from the wreck to his feet. Dib sighed. "So… we're stuck here, aren't we?"

After a very long pause Zim closed his eyes and turned away from him. "Yes Dib, we're stuck."

Dib sighed. "Stuck here with you at the end of the world…"

There was a long, dark silence. Then, slowly, an eerie feeling crept up on Dib. He tried to ignore it at first but the longer it hung there the more it justified everything else queer in the hollow place he'd once lived in peacefully. Eventually, it got the better of him.

"Zim…" Dib spoke softly, barely above a whisper, but the fear in his voice stood out. Zim grunted in acknowledgement. "The Irkens finished wiping the planet clear of any people right?" Zim nodded slowly. "Then…" Dib whispered now. "_Who did this?"_

Zim's antenna perked up with shock. He realised what Dib had realised. They were not alone in the ruins after all. Subconsciously, Zim took a step closer to Dib for comfort. Dib didn't notice - his mind was also focused on the knowledge that they were being watched, and the fear that they didn't know who the watcher was. Unlike Zim, he had another reason to be afraid, too. He'd heard them back at his old house - playing some sick game with his head. He'd thought it had been Zim, but now he saw that it was this twisted, invisible watcher who had been there all along and who had destroyed their only escape route.

And who had left the two boys trapped there, stuck at the end of the world, for whatever trap they had set up for them.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AN:

Wow. Been a while. This is kind of embarrassing... I really DID mean to update... two years ago... but real life issues take priority, right? And boy have these been two hectic years. Still, I'm nothing like the hyperactive fourteen year old that promised you quick updates all that time ago. Now I am a dry-humoured sixteen year old, with GCSEs and a much more equipt social life. So yeah. I found this saved on my computer, I think I wrote it in early 2006, it came to a logical conclusion even though it's not a full chapter but I figured I'd post it. I've been avoiding fanfiction for a looooong time now, it was pretty awkward just leaving this thing here. However, with such kind and lovely reviews I didn't think I could let it soak any longer. I fully intend to finish this - and seeing as my writing (and grammer) has improved tenfold, it will be MUCH better than it could have been.

Nowadays I'm much more involved with my original stuff at any rate, check it out on my deviantart account. (Link's on my homepage).

Thank you for your patience...


	7. Broken

**Broken**

There it was again. That awful sound. Dib wished they'd just close in for the kill already, instead of slowly ebbing his mind away. He and Zim had realised they were trapped around two hours ago, but without a watch he couldn't be sure. It could have been all night for what he knew. As soon as they'd got over the shock, Zim had insisted they find somewhere to set up camp. Dib could tell he was terrified even if he kept saying he was fine. Now here they were, sheltered in the ever lengthening shadows of their old school. Zim had suggested Dib's house, but naturally Dib had refused. He didn't want to tell Zim why. Funny as it seemed, even though his way of life was gone forever, even though the battle was fought and lost, he still didn't want to seem weak in front of his former rival. And just thinking about his house and the watcher made him feel weak. He stretched out his legs some more, trying not to disturb the sleeping Irken draped over his waist. This was almost pleasant… until he remembered how hungry he was, that there was no chance of rescue and, of course, until he heard it again.

It came every ten minutes or so. Drifting in the breeze so he couldn't tell where from. Laughter. Cutting, icy, cruel laughter. Mocking the couple trapped in its world. It was quiet faint usually, but every now and then it would seem as if their invisible stalker was pressed up to Dib's ear. Those were the moments when he wished he'd been wiped out with everyone else. Zim stirred slightly in his lap, gurgling. He'd obviously realised that if he stayed awake, he'd end up as on edge as Dib was now, and so the sneaky little alien had asked Dib to keep watch - claiming he was 'very tired' suddenly.

_Wish I'd thought of it first…_

A gentle breeze carried some litter and dirt through Dib's vision, and of course, more sick laughter to his ears. He shuddered, absent-mindedly stroking Zim's antenna for comfort. He probably didn't even realise it himself then, but Zim had always been the closest thing he had had to a friend. In fact, if he hadn't been an alien and as such Dib's natural enemy, they probably would have been best friends. They were so alike… Suddenly, the wind brought a different sound to Dib's ear. No longer did he hear the laughter, but now he heard something much worse.

Footsteps.

Steadily, deliberately, he heard their stalker approach. His eyes darted around, scanning every possible path, anyway they could be coming at him. He still couldn't see them. Eerily, as the footsteps closed in, he heard the laughter return. Whoever this was, they were no amateur. Oddly, he had no thoughts to wake Zim. For some reason, subconsciously, he wanted to spare him this. The hunt. As quickly as they had come, the footsteps and laughter stopped. Dead. Dib held his breath for a long second, then listened carefully, desperate to know if this was some trick of the wind. It didn't seem to be. It was over. At least for now. Reassured they were alone once more, Dib nudged Zim awake. He grumbled at this, staring up with huge eyes at Dib. Dib noticed that the moonlight was softly reflected in Zim's eyes. Something about it made his companion seem… more human, somehow.

"Come on Zim," Dib whispered, "It's not good to be out in the open like this."

Zim complained at length, but Dib lifted him to his feet and straightened out his coat. "We need to find somewhere safe."

Zim yawned. "There's only one safe place on Earth right now."

Dib looked at him funny. "Oh yeah? Where?"

………….…….

They arrived outside of the small, green house within several minutes. Dib was slightly amazed to see it was still totally in tact. Zim wasn't. He smiled at his companion, as if to say 'I told you so'. Dib frowned. Zim took the human's hand and used it to point at his house.

"Irkens always make sure our bases can survive the armada, just in case one of us can't make it up to the Massive in time."

"Then why didn't we come here earlier?" Dib asked scornfully.

Zim glanced down at his feet. He let Dib's hand fall back to his side. "Well… I suppose I didn't think you'd be comfortable." He didn't wait for Dib to say anything else that might catch him out, instead he strode up to the door and opened it. Dib stayed staring at the perfectly preserved base for a moment. At this monstrosity invading his fragile world. Even now.

_If I'd known before, think of all the people I could have saved… I could have kept them all in here, and they'd be fine…_

Zim hovered in the doorway, watching his kidnapped trophy fearfully as he looked with disgust at Zim's pretty little base. What was wrong with it? Why did Dib hate everything Zim liked? He didn't know, and quite frankly, he didn't want to waste time finding out. He knew the longer he left Dib like that, the more he'd pine for his home and his freedom. And seeing as Zim had been the one to take it away, he couldn't have that.

"Come here!" Zim snapped, clicking his fingers impatiently. Dib continued to stare bleakly past him.

"Now! Come here!" Getting no response a second time, Zim rushed out of the door and pulled at Dib's sleeve. Dib looked down at him morosely, similar to a caged circus animal - lonely, and captured. Zim yanked Dib's arm, causing the taller boy to stumble and almost fall. After that he followed Zim with little protest. Inside it was a different story to the pristine façade he'd just seen. Everything had been shaken up - the sofa was tipped and ripped, the TV smashed and various papers and pieces of food blanketed the floors. There was one thing, however, that stuck out. Lying in the very middle of the floor was a broken, crumpled body. Zim seemed to barely see it. Dib looked down for a moment and then knelt beside it.

"Zim did you know about this?"

The alien didn't reply. He watched Dib fuss with the little broken thing, clumsily. Zim wondered if Dib knew he was probably doing more harm than good, and if he cared. The boy was getting desperate.

"I think… my base was built on earlier software… not so safe after all. The exterior is made of the same alloy, but I suppose all the vibrations and minor 'quakes from other buildings shook it up in here. Good thing I wasn't around."

"Yeah, good thing." Dib spat. Zim ignored him. He joined Dib on the floor, crouched over the twisted metal hulk. "You obviously don't care about your things." Dib muttered.

"Maybe not… this one thing."

Dib scoffed, dropping the robot with a clunk. Zim watched him get up and skulk off to a corner to sulk. He checked Dib was not watching, then gently lifted his ex sidekick's head off the cracked tiles. He frowned, running his fingers over the cracked and dusty orb-like eyes. Obviously, GIR had been trapped in the base and between the falling objects and earthquakes had ended up just like Dib's family - broken, wretched. And dead. Is that why Dib had shown some consideration, lifting up the robot, trying momentarily to see if it could be fixed? Zim dumped the robot back on the floor, watching it crack and distort a little further against the hard surface. Just another broken thing in a broken world.

Dib felt breath on his neck. He jumped up, backed against a wall now by Zim. The situation couldn't help remind him of the old days, when they'd played cat and mouse like this for the fate of the world. Now it was just a game on one end. Dib glared angrily at his feet.

"So? Why did you just leave it here?" He pointed to GIR. "I though he was your friend."

Zim seemed surprised. "He was just my SIR unit. Defective at that!" he laughed. "Why would I bring _GIR_ with me?"

Dib thought before replying. Slowly, he looked up into Zim's eyes, an action that made the shorter boy squirm. "Because he was the only thing that ever like you," Dib whispered. It could not have been more powerful if he had screamed it.

Zim suddenly felt very uncomfortable. The temperature seemed to rise around him, his legs went weak under his weight and his antenna drooped. Dib seemed to grow in front of him, magically giant and sneering over the little Irken. He watched with horror as the warped new nightmare Dib reared over him, whispering those same words over and over again. Then it changed; now he was saying something else and the whisper grew into a taunt.

_I never liked you, Zim._

_Never liked you, Zim._

_It's a shame you had to fall for me._

_Because I hate you, Zim._

The voice was shouting now…

_You broke the world._

_You're as worthless as your little robot._

_You're NOTHING, Zim!_

Zim screamed. He collapsed on the floor, a little pile of whimpering robes. Dib, who hadn't done anything for the few seconds Zim had been silent, wondered what was wrong with him. It was eerie watching his capturer crying. It was eerie watching _Zim_ crying, Dib hadn't even known Irkens COULD cry. He felt awkward watching him at his weakest. He really didn't know what to do.

Then it came. The thing Dib had been dreading. He had hoped he wouldn't hear it again. The laughter. Creeping in on the already unbelievable scene and invading Dib's thoughts once more. Zim slowly stopped whimpering and looked up, perplexed.

"What's that noise?" He asked. Dib didn't reply. Zim asked more hastily, "What is it, Dib?"

Dib realised this was the first time Zim had heard the laughter. So, he wasn't going crazy after all. He just didn't know whether to be relived or not.

The laughter faded out and was replaced with footsteps. Zim got up and clung to Dib. Dib wished he could shove Zim in front of him and hide, but that would be pathetic. But their situation did seem quite pathetic, after all. The footsteps grew in volume, a sure sign whatever it was that was mocking them was close. Then, scariest of all, even the footsteps faded out. Dib and Zim held tightly to each other as they heard the final sound.

Breathing.


	8. Violence

**Violence**

Dib was the only one who saw it. Zim, in a formerly rare display of weakness, had his head buried in Dib's waist. If he had been a man and been able to keep his eyes open, he wouldn't have let his guard down like that. The breathing had unnerved him. They'd probably done it on purpose - after all they'd only been walking, why would they be breathing so heavily? He hadn't been able to bear it, as Zim was hiding in his coat he had shut his eyes tight and hoped it was just a nightmare. When he opened them, he was just in time to see a bat crash down, and the world had gone dark even within his eyelids. He realised he must have been hit round the head. Zim must have been too. It occurred to him that he didn't know where Zim was. Actually, he didn't know where he was. He was still swimming in an inky dark void, senses only just awakening. His hearing slowly returned as he woke up fully, and was greeted with near silence, aside from the wind whirling around. His sight didn't come back. As he reached up to feel if he'd lost his glasses, something tugged at him. He couldn't move his arm more than a few centimetres. His sense of touch was still dozy, but he could feel no that his wrists were tied. He assumed also that he was blindfolded. Again, he wondered where Zim was. He moved his lips, and seeing as he had not been gagged, he knew he would hear Zim if he was near by. The Irken would be screaming out in anguish. Dib had only two options: to wait, or to call out. He was awfully tired. He decided to wait.

An unknown amount of time later, Dib thought he heard footsteps again. When he thought about it though, he couldn't be sure. It could be a trick. He felt as if he'd just woken up… maybe he was still asleep… but at any rate, he couldn't trust his mind or body right now. He wondered how much longer he'd have to wait in this situation. His arms were getting tired, his wrists were sore. He noticed he was kneeling and that his legs were also aching. He thought, maybe, it was time to cry out. He opened his mouth, but held back. What if the watcher was here? Holding their breath, staying still, waiting and watching. What if when he spoke they got him? Maybe they were just waiting… waiting for him to make the first move. And again, he did nothing.

Finally, perhaps hours perhaps minutes later, it became unbearable. The wind had picked up and carried dirt and dust through the air and past his sorry face, caking him in the Earth. His knees dug into the ground beneath him, picking up more ash that may very well have been part of somewhere he used to go. It had even started to rain. Fat, steely droplets falling in his hair and landing on his bruised coat. He was a mess. An abused, filthy mess. But it was not the elements that made him snap. It was not the thought of some unseen predator leering over him. It was Zim. The fact that he was gone, that either he was suffering the same things or worse or maybe not at all… but he wasn't here to share it. He wasn't there… He wasn't there for _him_.

And so he cried out. One long, clear shout. A name. The name - of the only one left, the only one Dib wanted to be there, the only one who _could_ be… but for some reason wasn't. Zim. It was pained, and it was followed by tears, streams and streams of tears, mingling with the ash-sodden rain. Dib didn't cry out again, he just broke down and cried on his knees in the storm.

There was no reply. Obviously, Zim was nowhere to be found. Even he couldn't have held out on an answer to that wretched call. But there was something. Movement. He could only hear it. Amongst the sound of the wind and the rain, separate from his own miserable sobs, there came the sound of someone moving around. Dib's own noise faded out as he listened. He heard someone approach him from an indeterminate direction. He could even feel their soft breaths on his face as they leaned close to him. For some reason, although he was certain this was not Zim but their torturer, he was unafraid. What else did he have to lose? They reached in and touched his face, gently. It was almost welcome. Then suddenly, the softness turned ragged and their claw-like nails dug into his cheek, their breathing became sharp and perversely excited. He cried out, weakly, as the pain in his face ran though him. He felt the blood trail down and wash into the rain on his coat.

He felt the watcher reach back to remove his blindfold. At last he would see who, or what, was taunting him. As it came away, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. It must be night, although the rain clouds obscured the sky. All the ash and dirt pumped into the air by the end of the world must have caused a natural disaster with the weather. Eventually, his capturer came into view. They stood in front of him, proudly, mockingly. They had every right. They had survived the end of the world. He was the only other one to pull that off, and he'd been saved by the enemy. Taken away as a helpless little trophy. This person had done it alone. And now they were all alone.

He wished he didn't recognise them. Why couldn't it just be any old survivor, with a grudge or just an urge to see another human face? But no, that would be too easy. He had to know the dark, now ripped and beaten raincoat. He had to recognise the tormented eyes, gleaming back at his own. And he had to be familiar with the long, ragged, soaked hair, clinging to the figures back as it always did in the rain. Because he saw them every day. They were one of the people he had wondered about since being 'saved'. And when he had gone back to his old house, it was obvious that they'd done the same, both looking for remnants of a shattered life. And as he uttered their name, he watched their face twist into a far too familiar grimace.

"What are you doing?" he whispered, barely audible in the howling wind.

"A better question is what are YOU doing? You should be dead! _Everyone_ is dead!"

Dib had nothing to say, except for one thing he didn't want to. How could he tell her that he'd survived in comfort, never giving her a second thought until now, whilst she lived out here in this ruined concrete wasteland?

"Zim…" he finally uttered.

She smirked, cruelly, showing all her teeth. "I know how you survived! I just couldn't believe it! Back at the house, when I saw you, I didn't see how you could have let yourself be carried away by your only rival."

"I didn't have a choice."

They lurched into his face, an inch away, rank breath now pouring over him as they screamed. "Because you wanted it! You wanted to go off with him and play pretend it was all alright! You never hated him _at all_; you loved every minute of stalking him, and following him, and being around him! You _loved_ that pathetic little alien and that's what made you pathetic too!"

"Please… stop it," he found it hard to bear the screams, how every word she said was true and it tore him apart. "You're my sister! Why aren't you happy I survived?"

She pulled away, laughing the same laugh that had followed and taunted him for what seemed like a lifetime. "Yes, maybe I am. But why would I be happy? You're an insect, Dib. Just like your little alien lover-boy."

"Gaz… Wait," his eyes met hers, fearfully. "You have him somewhere, don't you? You know where he is!"

She laughed again, manically. "What, you thought I'd tie you to a streetlamp and leave him all alone? Of course I have him." Before Dib could answer, she marched out of sight. He could still hear her through the storm somewhere even though the rain obscured his vision. He heard her return, dragging something heavy along the miserable ground. As she came back into view, he saw the other figure in her grasp. Beaten and broken and barely conscious he saw the Invader, uniform caught in his sister's claws. She may have knocked him out, but what she'd done to Zim was beyond that. He looked a lot like his spaceship.

"Gaz, what have you done to him?" Dib screamed, pulling on his restraints. Her face lit up with the sick smile.

"I could have killed him, Dib. Like he killed Dad. And everyone else we know. But I waited, I waited for _you_."

"Don't!" Dib cried, tears running down his face again, mixing with blood and dirt and rain.

"Why not?" she screamed. "He would have if it was me! He wouldn't even _blink_!" She shook him, dirt and rain cascading off the limp body. His one open eye stared dumbly up at Dib. Pleading. "So which is it, Dib?"

"What?"

"Who do you pick? Do you want to stay with your family, or with the person who tried to kill everyone you ever knew?"

Gaz dumped Zim on the ground; she strode over, ripping off one of the ropes holding Dib to the post. She left the other to make sure he couldn't escape.

"This is it Dib, the final choice!"

He didn't know what she was talking about, until she lifted his free hand and wrapped it around something. It was heavy and metal. He didn't know exactly what it was, but he knew what it would do.

"No…" he muttered.

Gaz smiled, widely, crazily, back at him. "It's the same kind his lot used. You have to choose now Dib!"

"No!" He yelled. He looked at the gun, or laser, or whatever it was she had given him. Irken made. So that meant it was indeed the same type the clean-up crew would have used to wipe out any survivors they found. "Where did you get this?"

"I caught one of them, swaggering around our street, thought he could take out any human he saw! Well, he didn't count on me. Or this," she motioned to the bat Dib finally saw swinging by her side. The one she'd used to destroy their spaceship and knock him unconscious.

She lifted up Zim by the collar, bat in her other hand. "You can't run away, Dib! This is it - either you shoot him and we can work on taking back our home, or you shoot me and you two can rot here in this hellhole he created!"

"I won't shoot either of you!"

There was a flash of lightning, momentarily lighting up Gaz's face. She was filthy, as anyone would be from living on the streets for a week, let alone like this. She was thinner too, obviously food was not readily available. Her eyes and hair were wild. She had done what Dib had always wanted to do - she had captured Zim, but in doing so and living like this, she had done what he'd always feared. She had gone insane. And now she was here, making him chose between the only two people left in the entire universe that he loved.

"You have to!" she shrieked. She lifted the bat, poised above Zim's head. "Or I'll kill him and chose for you!"

Zim looked at Dib. He knew Dib couldn't kill his sister, the only other human left on the earth. This is what he'd wanted. To find another person, that's why he'd wanted to come here. Zim should never have let him. He'd sealed his own fate. And so, in what he knew to be his last act, he smiled at Dib, a trickle of blood sliding out of his mouth as he did so. Dib looked at him desperately.

"Dib…"

"Zim?" Dib's eyes darted between his sister and his friend. He held the gun wildly, not sure who to point it at.

"I love you."

The gun went off.

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A/N

_Please don't mention who the watcher is in reviews! Thanks. ;)_


	9. Last Request

**Last Request**

Dib felt a shock ravage his body. He couldn't move a muscle, and instead was frozen in place, horrified. He shut his eyes, trying to remove it all from his mind. He heard the laughter echo around his brain, torturing him, pushing him down into insanity. He felt the rain drive into him, the blood and dirt clog his skin - such human things, now gathering to torment him in his darkest hour. In the dark behind his eyelids, he saw Zim appear, reach out to him and then fade away into dust. Just like everyone else. Why did he always hurt the people he loved? Why, Dib, why? The laughter grew into an unbearable cacophony, not even real anymore but so painful it didn't matter. Pain racked his form. He felt weak. His head was killing him. All of this made worse by the fact that he was so alone in an empty world, beaten, defeated and broken. Just like everything else. Just like every_one_ else.

All the sounds of the world faded away, the wind and rain, the laughter, even his own cries. It was all made silent for him. The only thing that was left was the trickle of blood slithering down his face. Odd, he thought, why is the blood still here? He felt eerily calm, a feeling that crept all through him and washed away the anger and the fear and the misery. Only the blood stayed to remind him of the pain. But even the pain was getting fuzzier. He could hardly feel it anymore. In the world behind his eyelids, everything was fine. He wanted to reach up and wipe it off, but he remembered he couldn't move his arms. Maybe he was mad now! Everything was so perfect, it would be alright. There was only one worry left in his head, and that was Zim. What would he do about Zim? But something reminded him that Zim was gone now. Suddenly, he felt something pitter-patter on his face. Maybe the rain was back. It was nice. But it didn't stop; it grew harder, more desperate. It was starting to make him sad. He didn't want this silly pitter-patter ruining the moment. And so he opened his eyes.

As soon as he did so, all the pain came back. He was in agony, every single nerve ending was screaming at him. For some reason, he wasn't surprised to notice he wasn't tied to a streetlamp anymore, but was lying down. The sky wasn't dark and cloudy, either, it was daylight. It wasn't raining. His sister was nowhere to be seen. All that was left from the world behind his eyelids was the pitter-patter, which it turned out was a hand on his cheek. It seemed the hand had been very insistent that he wake up now. Dib couldn't really move, but he looked up the arm and followed it to find the owner. They looked very concerned.

"Hello," he tried to say, but it came out as more of a groan. The figure looked even more concerned. They propped his tired body up on a pile of debris.

_Where did that come from?_

"Dib?"

All it took was that one word, and Dib snapped back from the brink of unconsciousness. His sister, the storm, the busted spaceship and everything else that had happened to him disappeared. His memory was no longer so hazy and his senses returned at full pelt. He remembered what was happening. It was the end of the world. He had failed to stop Zim and now the whole Earth had paid the price. But… for some reason, he'd just slipped off into a daydream. And then the last bit came back to him. There had been a gun. A gun and a fight… and Zim. Zim! That was who was leaning over him now. Zim was trying to make sure… he was… alright? But why?

"Did you mean that?" Zim said hurriedly. What was the rush?

"What?" Dib gurgled, fresh blood drooling out of his mouth.

"When you said that? Did you mean it?"

This was getting tiring, Dib wanted to go back to sleep. As he tried to close his eyes, Zim shook him awake again.

"Dib you need to tell me now!"

Why? What was Zim's hurry? As Dib thought about it, his eyes fell to his own body. His clothes were pretty torn up. He was pretty dirty too, but then again it seemed he was lying in a pile of ash and rubble. Next to a busted TV screen… Just like the one… He looked around. He was indeed in the remains of his living room. Just as he had been when Zim had first approached him after the attack. That didn't make sense. So much had happened since then…. Or… had it? Now that he thought about it, most of what he thought had happened didn't make sense, it all seemed like a dream. Except the very last part, with the gun. That was definitely real. Dib tried to find the last time when everything had seemed real. And it seemed, the last solid memory he had was walking into his ruined home, turning around and seeing Zim standing there. But where did the gun come in? He looked back at Zim, such an anxious expression on his face, and… a gun in his hand? But wait, that would mean that Zim had shot him. He thought it was the other way around. And if Zim was the shooter… that meant that the one who had said…

"Did you mean it, Dib?"

Now it all made sense. You hear about people's lives flashing before their eyes. You don't hear so often about them imagining the lives they could have had. Dib had always been just a touch mad, and so when Zim had shown up, gun in hand to end his life personally, it made sense his mind had shown him what else could have happened. He thought about it hard. He had struggled with Zim over the gun, but had lost. Zim had shot him with the laser, and as it broke his body he had uttered one last thing and fallen into an unconscious daydream.

"Yeah…" he croaked. Zim stared at him. He dropped the gun, leaning over Dib, holding his face up so he wouldn't slip away again.

"But why, Dib?" His face was pained and confused.

Dib could barely speak, but he managed. "I… always loved you… Zim. You were… the only one… who cared… what I thought."

"Dib?" He shook him again to keep him awake. Dib's eyes rolled around in his head, his headache was getting worse, but he still had more to say.

"You were my only… friend."

It seemed odd that it had taken the end of the world to draw it out of him. But hate had clouded his mind, and he'd never been able to see past the green skin or bug eyes. Until there was no reason left to hate. Until he knew it was over. And that's when his subconscious had taken control and told him what he needed to know. All the little kisses, everything else… it hadn't happened. As far as Zim knew, this was the first pleasant thought Dib had had about him. It hurt. He'd just shot Dib - only doing his duty. He'd wanted this one to be special; no-one else was capable of doing it just right. It had to be Zim that would take Dib away from the world. That's why he'd come down here, but he'd expected Dib to just die. No words. Now it felt wrong. It hurt.

"Dib, I'm sorry…"

"It's… OK…"

"I didn't mean it! I'll make you better! You can come live with me!"

Dib smiled. He couldn't say anything else. His eyes closed. Zim felt something hot and wet run down his face and was surprised to find he was crying for the first time in years. Not that it mattered right now. He tried to lift Dib up but couldn't. He tried to make him open his eyes but couldn't. In the end, he did the one thing he could do, something he had seen humans do lots of times before but had never seen a reason for until now.

The last thing Dib felt before he fell into oblivion was Zim kiss him. Not as he'd imagined, never as he'd imagined. It was soft, it was desperate and it was loving. Because the two had always been playing a game, and when their game fell away all they were left with was each other. Two very similar beings. And now, they were stuck here with no charades - just feelings and pain. Stuck at the end of the world. Together.

**End.**

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A/N

Well, it took two years or so but it's finally done. Hope you've enjoyed it, it's been a hell of a joy to write:) Hope it's not too confusing... Please, if you could tone down spoilers in reviews, that would be good. And now, I have to say, this will probably be my last Invader Zim fic for a while. I'm not as into it as I used to be... Look out for my Avatar stuff, though.

Maybe sometime I'll rewrite the first chapters of this, and then the whole thing can shine like these last few.

Thank you, you've all been a wonderful audience. I love you all. :)


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